37 teams to vie for Santosh Trophy football tournament

Srinagar, Jul 13 (UNI) As many as 37 teams would be vying for honours in the 61st Santosh Trophy championship, likely to be played here from September 2.

The championship would be held in Kashmir for the second time after a gap of 28 years. It was earlier held in 1978.

The three-week long national event would be held on three football grounds - Polo Ground (West), Bakshi Stadium and Amar Singh College, Jammu and Kashmir Football Asssociation (JKFA) President Zameer Ahmad Thakur told UNI.

At a high-level meeting here recently, he said Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad discussed the arrangements about the successful conduct of the championship.

Mr Azad directed the authorities concerned for executing the work of developing playfields and other logistics at venues in double-shift so that these were ready well in advance, Mr Thakur added.

The 60th Santosh Trophy was held in Kerala. The championship was won by Goa who beat Maharashtra 3-1 in the finals.

UNI FMH PM HT1410